Android phones have been the first to feature a number of notable standards. They were the first to support 4G, 5G, USB-C (back in 2015 no less) and in-display fingerprint sensors. And when it comes to wireless charging, you can trace that lineage back to 2012's Samsung Galaxy S3 (although the webOS-powered Palm Pre and its Touchstone charger is the real OG). Unfortunately, when it came to adding support for the Qi2 wireless charging standard to devices in 2024, it seems that Android phone makers were stuck with outdated patch notes.
The Qi2 standard was officially announced in early 2023 during CES. We even gave it an award, as the spec appeared to offer 15W wireless charging (and possibly more in future revisions), improved security and, critically, the introduction of magnetic power profiles that make it very easy to align and connect compatible charging platforms. At its core, Qi2 was designed to bring the simplicity and ease of use that iPhone owners enjoy with MagSafe products to the Android ecosystem.
Even more surprising is that, in a rare move for a company that likes to keep its technology carefully isolated within the walls of its ecosystem, Apple shared core parts of the MagSafe specification with other members of the community. Wireless Power Consortium (which is the governing body that oversees the Qi and Qi2 standards) to accelerate development and interoperability. So you'd think that after seeing the convenience and popularity of MagSafe accessories among iPhone users, Android phone makers would have rushed to add Qi2 to as many devices as possible. But almost two full years after the specification was finalized, the total of Android phones that support Qi2 is one: the HMD Skyline.
At this point, you could be saying that product development cycles are multi-year processes that are difficult to change before launch. And in most cases, you're probably right. But let's be honest, it's not like Samsung, Google, Lenovo and others didn't see it coming. Like Apple, practically all the big Android phone manufacturers are too. WPC membersso they would have known about the development of Qi2 long before it was officially announced. Additionally, the first iPhone with MagSafe was the iPhone 12, which came out four years ago. So even if we assume that the first time Samsung, Google and others were presented with the idea of a magnetic wireless charging system was during Apple's presentation in the fall of 2020, one would imagine that's still more than enough time to design similar technology to use in current Galaxy and Pixel phones.
For manufacturers, another concern when adopting a new standard is that there may not be enough accessories and other compatible peripherals on sale to make it worth implementing the new technology. We've seen this in the past with modular phones like the LG G5 and Moto Z Force line and the modern palm reading technology of the LG G8. However, because Qi2 and MagSafe devices are largely interchangeable, there's already a huge market for options like Anker's line of MagGo power banks, which are some of my favorite portable battery packs right now.
Another annoyance is that some phones like the Razr Plus and Pixel 9 Pro Fold even <a target="_blank" data-i13n="cpos:21;pos:1" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9NHcTGidWT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:stick magnetically;cpos:21;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “>stick magnetically to some Qi2 accessories and can even absorb a little bit of juice. Unfortunately, this is more of a coincidence caused by the magnets used to help keep the foldables open or closed, rather than an intentional use case. This means that although at first glance it may appear that these devices are Qi2 compatible, the accessories do not maintain a firm grip and often slip off even in what appear to be ideal circumstances. Even cases that claim to add support for Qi2 are hit and miss, resulting in a bad experience for Android phone owners hoping to recreate the magic of MagSafe on their own. It's a shame really, because it almost seems like with a few small tweaks Google, Moto and others could unlock Qi2 support on a wider range of devices without much extra effort or cost.
Unfortunately, while many Chinese phone makers have avoided Qi2 up to this point, that's to be expected, as manufacturers like Oppo often favor proprietary technology like its 65W AirVOOC wireless charging over a more affordable industry standard. And because the Galaxy S24 family came out in early 2024, Samsung didn't have as much time to add Qi2 to its current flagship lineup as Google, which launched the Pixel 9 series just a few months ago. Regardless, this still doesn't explain the general reluctance of OEMs to adopt what I would argue is one of the most significant improvements in accessibility and overall usability that can be added to a smartphone today.
But the most frustrating thing is that six months ago, our friends from CNET he reflected on why we had <a target="_blank" data-i13n="cpos:23;pos:1" href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/where-are-the-qi2-android-phones/” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:yet to see any Qi2 Android phones;cpos:23;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “>We haven't seen any Qi2 Android phones yet
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